KEVIN NARRO | Valley Morning Star

RIO HONDO — This softball season has been a roller coaster for the Rio Hondo Lady Bobcats.

The Lady Cats, who are a young group, has endured its lumps but has found its form over the past few weeks.

The team is currently 6-0 in District 32-4A and is in good shape to win a fifth straight league title.

A mainstay for the Lady Cats has been the guidance and steady play from twin sisters Annie and Abbie Alvarado. The senior duo has combined for 40 runs and 57 hits through the first half of district play.

Abbie, who bats in the middle of the order, is batting .400 on the year with 24 hits and is tied for third on the team with 22 RBIs. And behind the plate, she has an impressive .934 fielding percentage.

“I think about it every day on how fast the season is going,” Abbie said. “The first three years have gone by so slow and now this year it feels like it’s going by fast. It’s crazy; I can’t put my head around it. This year has been great. The younger girls are mature and have learned a lot. We don’t have to tell them too much; they have such a great attitude and they come ready to play.”

On Tuesday, Rio Hondo hosted Zapata in what was a battle of unbeaten clubs. Annie took the circle and delivered a masterful six-inning, two-hit shutout while her offense did the rest in a 10-0 win. Abbie, meanwhile, took her place behind the plate and finished the night 2 for 4 at with a double, a triple and four RBIs.

“We knew we were going to have to rely on our seniors this year,” said Rio Hondo coach Brett Esparza. “We just got healthy. There was a time where Annie, Abbie and Atheny Orozco where leading the younger girls. They did a good job of keeping them motivated throughout the preseason.”

Along the way, Rio Hondo took its lumps against Edinburg North, Harlingen South and Los Fresnos. Despite the early season struggles, the Lady Cats feel good about themselves and have grown from the losses and are starting to peak.

“Right now we are seeing that the mistakes we made early, we are not making them anymore,” Esparza said. We’re playing some great de-fense right now and we know through district play that we’re making clean plays.”

Annie, who is the vocal leader and has been a part of playoff runs and has played in pressure situations, gives the younger girls motivation and ways how to handle themselves on the field. As the team’s ace this year, she has filled some big shoes left by Jennifer Flores and Miranda Martinez, who toed the rubber last year for Rio Hondo.

“I take the circle and I think ‘show some teeth’ and I have a scripture on my glove that says ‘God is within her, she won’t fail.’ Those are some things that help me,” said Annie. “I focus on the task and on Abbie, I don’t focus on the outside noise; I go out there and execute every pitch and I couldn’t do it without my defense, they’re a big part of what I do.”

So far Annie has stymied opposing offenses with a 2.68 ERA along with a 7-3 record. Through 49.2 innings of work, the senior has fanned 42 batters and walked nine.

KEVIN NARRO | Valley Morning Star

HARLINGEN —Harlingen High senior offensive lineman Justin Davis secured his college future this week by signing a letter of intent to play football this fall at Texas Lutheran University in Seguin.

Davis plans to major in kinesiology once he hits campus later this year.

“I chose TLU because it’s small, but very impactful in student life,” he said. “They are also very competitive in athletics and that’s the type of environment I want to be a part of. Playing at the next level has always been a goal of mine and it didn’t matter what school. I just wanted to continue playing the sport I have a passion for and that is football.”

Davis spent two years on the varsity squad and wrapped up a solid career as a Cardinal. He was a part of a district and bi-district championship his junior season, and received second-team honors his junior year and honorable mention this past season.

Davis, who saw both his father and uncle don Cardinals football jerseys, is wrapping up his high school career and is excited to join the Bulldogs program.

“My best memory as a Card was going through the tradition,” Davis said. “My dad and uncle played for Harlingen and for me to continue the tradition made my family proud.

“I realized I could play at the next level when I spoke to one of the recruiters and they asked me about playing at the college level. The biggest challenge for me will be adjusting to the new life style. The coaching staff has already filled me in on how they will keep an eye on our progress and on our grades. It’s going to be like having a second set of parents, which is the same way the Cardinal coaches were to me.”

Last month, Harlingen South’s pass rushing duo of Sky Tatum and Brandon Bennett also committed to TLU. Davis said he hasn’t spoken with the two since this past fall, but is excited to team up with his former rivals.

“I haven’t talked to them since the Bird Bowl,” he said. “Both Sky and Brandon are great competitors and great athletes so I can’t wait to be on the same team with them.”

KEVIN NARRO | Valley Morning Star

With just two games left until the first half of league play wraps up, Harlingen South has made a statement through its first five games.

On Tuesday, South took control of District 32-6A with a 4-2 win against Weslaco High.

The win puts the Lady Hawks alone in first place with a 5-0 record. South will now play Weslaco East on Friday and finish the first round against Brownsville Rivera next week.

What is most impressive about Harlingen South is the team’s youth. The Lady Hawks’ lineup consists of four sophomores, three juniors and one freshman. The only two senior starters are pitcher Kaitlynn De La Fuente and third baseman Caitlyn Hejl.

Against Weslaco on Tuesday, freshman Alyssa Ledesma and sophomore Kytana Muniz provided the offense with a pair of runs that helped give the Hawks the lead.

“We’re enjoying the moment; in this league it’s tough,” said South coach Elias Martinez. “Every team we play is tough; we have Weslaco East up next and we will continue to take it one game at a time. We have a motto: ‘The Lady Hawks don’t back down.’ We will take a punch, but we will deliver three or four of our own punches. We’re a young team and I have a great coaching staff. They know what they are doing and they do a good job on teaching the girls and the girls are very receptive.”

RIO HONDO: The Lady Bobcats proved they’re still the team to beat in 32-4A. In a battle of two 5-0 teams, Rio Hondo sent Zapata packing Tuesday with a 10-0 win in six innings. The Lady Cats now stand alone in first place with a 6-0 record.

Rio Hondo used an early 2-0 lead and built its lead in the third inning with three more runs, pushing the lead to 5-0.

Senior Annie Alvarado blanked the Lady Hawks with a six-inning shutout while yielding just two hits. At the plate Abbie Alvarado and Abbie Torris provided the boom. Alvarado went 2 for 4 with a double and a triple. Torris, meanwhile, went 4 for 4 with a triple and four RBIs.

Freshman Kelsey Pizarro also had a nice night at the plate driving in three RBIs.

Up next is a road test Saturday at Port Isabel where the Lady Tarps are in a tie with Zapata for second place at 5-1. First pitch is slated for 10 a.m.

“Last night the girls came out ready to go,” said coach Brett Esparza. “The girls where locked in and ready to go, and the girls knew Zapata was in town and we knew they were also unbeaten. This is an important stretch for us with Zapata and Port Isabel up next. They’re our rivals and they are also fighting for the top spot in our district.”

OTHERS: Harlingen High improved its 32-6A record to 3-2 after a 14-3 drumming of Los Fresnos on Tuesday. The Lady Cards will host Brownsville Hanna on Friday before wrapping up the first round of district play against San Benito next week.

San Benito, meanwhile, got back in the win column with a 13-1 victory against Brownsville Hanna on Tuesday to improve their district re-cord to 4-1. The Lady Hounds are in a two-way tie with Weslaco High, who they host Friday at 7.

KEVIN NARRO | Valley Morning Star

HARLINGEN — The old saying goes, “to be the man you gotta beat the man.” On Tuesday, that was the case for the Harlingen South Lady Hawks.

After taking down one giant in San Benito last week, Harlingen South slayed another as the young, gritty Lady Hawks used a complete-game effort from starter Kaitlynn De La Fuente and fed off of their center fielder Melba Rodriguez in a 4-2 win over Weslaco High.

The win puts South in sole possession of first place in District 32-6A with a 5-0 record. Weslaco, meanwhile, slipped into a two-way tie for second place with San Benito at 4-1.

“Everyone stepped up tonight; it was a total team effort against a solid Weslaco team,” said South skipper Elias Martinez. “It was a tough game; coach Mario Rodriguez does an excellent job of preparing them. Tonight it came down to who made the routine plays and handled the pressure. It could have gone either way, but tonight we were fortunate that it went our way.”

Entering the third inning tied at one run each, both starters, De La Fuente and Weslaco’s Ashley Sada, found themselves in a pitcher’s duel. In the top of the third, however, Rodriguez turned the momentum in South’s favor by making a running catch at the wall and taking away extra bases for the third out.

“Tonight I expected to get a lot of balls hit to the outfield,” Rodriguez said. “Weslaco can hit the ball well. They’re a tough team, but I was prepared to make plays. I didn’t expect to make that catch, but I did and I helped my team.”

In the fourth inning, South sophomores Kytana Muniz and Christina Arellano both got on base with back-to-back one-out singles. Freshman Alyssa Ledesma then knocked in the go-ahead run and put the Lady Hawks ahead 2-1. Kelsey Rivera followed with an RBI single adding an insurance run to make it 3-1 Lady Hawks thorough four innings.

“We have been working hard in practice and it is all paying off,” Rodriguez said. “We’re going to enjoy this win and we will keep working hard, but we’re definitely excited to be in first place in our district.”

De La Fuente shook off a rough second inning where she walked two batters that loaded the bases and issued her second free pass that al-lowed Weslaco’s first run of the inning.

From the second inning on, however, De La Fuente retired 13 of her final 16 batters faced. In the top of the seventh, Gabby Rivera hit a solo homer that cut into the lead at 4-2, but De La Fuente rebounded quickly and struck out the side to end the frame.

De La Fuente finished with a complete game, two runs, five hits and struck out eight. Muniz finished 3 for 3, Krystal Gonzales went 2 for 3 and hit a solo homer in the fifth inning as an insurance run.

KEVIN NARRO | Valley Morning Star

HARLINGEN — Making a position move is not the easiest thing to do for an athlete.

For Harlingen South junior shortstop Krystal Gonzales, however, the move from catcher to shortstop came naturally.

Last season, Gonzales played catcher but moved back to her natural position and has become the anchor up the middle for the Lady Hawks infield this season.

Gonzales has helped the Lady Hawks to a 4-0 league start with Weslaco High up next at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

The Valley Morning Star got a chance to catch up with Gonzales this weekend.
—
Q: You play softball all year long. What is the best part of doing that?
A: It keeps me engaged and prepared for the upcoming season. As my dad always tells me, “Champions are made in the offseason.”

Q: You made the move from catcher to shortstop this year. How has that transition been for you?
A: It hasn’t been a difficult move since that was my primary position on my select team for the past several years.

Q: On game days do you have a specific routine?
A: Before each game I like to listen to NF, a Christian rap artist whose music keeps me focused.

Q: What is your biggest superstition?
A: Before I step into the batter’s box, I always look at Coach (Audulio) Garza on first base side because he gives me confidence and keeps me calm before each at bat. And when I have two strikes on my count, I never look at Coach (Elias) Martinez. I remain mentally focused on the next pitch.

Q: Who is your favorite NCAA softball team?
A: The Oklahoma Sooners.

Q: Growing up, who was your favorite softball or baseball player and why?
A: My favorite player has always been Elvis Andrus from the Texas Rangers because he plays shortstop for my favorite Major League baseball team.

Q: You wear No. 11. Is there any meaning behind that?
A: Receiving No. 11 my freshman year was memorable since my older brother, Anjel, also wore the same number when he lettered his freshman year as the starting shortstop for the South Hawks.

Q: If you could have one super power what would it be and why?
A: Talking to animals. I would like to have the ability to communicate with my dog, Blitz, and to be able to know what he is thinking. He is my best friend and I don’t know what I’d do without his company.

Q: Tell us something about yourself that the fans might not know?
A: Every year I write a new biblical scripture underneath the bill of my visor because I want to give all my glory to God because without him we are nothing.

Q: If you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be and why?
A: I would want to have dinner with both my grandpas who are both in heaven so I could talk to them about what has been going on in my life since they’ve been gone.

KEVIN NARRO | Valley Morning Star

The Harlingen Lady Cardinals picked up a convincing 10-3 win against Weslaco East on Thursday.

After dropping their game against Weslaco High on Tuesday 10-0, the Lady Cards are back at the .500 mark with a 2-2 District 32-6A record.

Against East, Carla Arellano went 3 for 4 at the plate with three doubles. Emily Garcia, meanwhile, went 4 for 4 with two doubles and a home run as a part of a five-run sixth inning.

In the circle, Arellano struck out 11 batters en route to the complete-game shutout in six innings.

Up next for the Lady Red Birds is a matchup at Los Fresnos on Tuesday.

HARLINGEN SOUTH: The Lady Hawks steamrolled San Benito on Thursday and now put themselves in a comfy spot at 4-0 in league play. However, they do have a meeting with the defending district champs Weslaco High on Tuesday, which is also 4-0.

Thursday’s offensive outburst has become a trend for the Lady Hawks. Over Spring Break, South has swatted 28 hits and has scored an eye-popping 29 runs in their last two games.

The middle of the order has been producing over the last week with cleanup hitter Kytana Muniz, Christina Arellano and Alyssa Ledesma. The three have scored a combined for 11 runs and 16 hits.

RIO HONDO: The Lady Bobcats also completed a perfect 2-0 Spring Break week. On Monday, the Lady Cats made it look easy with a 15-0 win in three innings against Grulla. On Wednesday however, it took a full seven innings.

The Lady Cats pulled away late for a 7-3 win against Hidalgo and improved their District 32-4A record to 4-0 with Zapata at home on Tuesday at 7.

Rio Hondo got a six-strikeout performance from their freshman Kelsey Pizarro and had senior Annie Alvarado come in to seal the win.

At the plate, four Lady Cats had multiple hits including Abbie Torris, Bianca Cruz, Abbie Alvarado and April Adames.

Both hurlers, Alvarado and Pizarro, helped their cause by driving in a pair of runs each.

SAN BENITO: The Lady Hounds struggled to generate any offense on Thursday against Harlingen South. After a 20-1 win earlier in the week versus Brownsville Rivera, San Benito was shut out at home 13-0.

San Benito only drew three base runners on the night. AJ Jasso drew a walk in the second inning and Stephanie Contreras collected both of the team’s hits with a 2 for 2 night at the plate.

San Benito is now 3-1 in 32-6A play and will look to rebound at Brownsville Hanna on Tuesday. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.

KEVIN NARRO | Valley Morning Star

SAN BENITO — In an early season district bout Thursday, it was Harlingen South that delivered the knockout punch with a 15-hit, 13-run performance against San Benito.

The Lady Hawks scored early and often and cruised to a 13-0 win in five innings at Lady Greyhounds Field.

With the victory, South improved to 4-0 in 32-6A play and will next host Weslaco High on Tuesday. Meanwhile, San Benito (3-1) dropped its first district contest and takes on Brownsville Hanna next week.

“It was a heck of a ball game; the girls played their hearts out and it was a total team effort,” said South coach Elias Martinez. “We’re proud of them; every game is tough and we are fortunate to come out with a win tonight.”

The Lady Hawks set the tone in the first inning. Natasha Canales led off with a single, followed by a Krystal Gonzales walk. Christina Arellano broke the scoring open on an RBI single, then Alyssa Ledesma capped off the frame with a two-run double and held a 3-0 lead after the first inning.

In the circle, senior Kaitlynn De La Fuente dealt a complete-game shutout. The righty kept the Lady Hounds’ offense off balance all night. Through five innings of work, De La Fuente fanned four, walked one and allowed just two hits.

“A lot of my movement pitches have been working for me,” De La Fuente said. “It’s something I have been working on in practice. To get a big lead early helps. At first I was nervous, but once we scored the runs I felt better and settled in.”

Already leading 5-0, it was the fourth inning that saw the Lady Hawks’ offense explode for a six-run, four-hit frame.

Arellano drove in two runs on a double, followed by a bases-clearing triple by Melba Rodriguez that put the game out of reach at 11-0 in the top of the fourth.

Arellano finished the night 3 for 3 with three RBIs and two runs.

In the fifth inning, South added a pair of runs as Kytana Muniz belted a solo homer making it 13-0. Muniz had a strong performance at the plate, finishing 3 for 4 with two runs and the home run.

“This is a big win for us. We split with San Benito last year, so we really wanted this tonight,” Muniz said. “We came and took it from them. Offensively, we played great and on defense we got the job done.”

KEVIN NARRO | Valley Morning Star

HARLINGEN — The Harlingen South softball team is off to a hot start in district play and senior Kaitlynn De La Fuente has been a key factor in the Lady Hawks’ success.

De La Fuente has shined both in the circle and at the plate. On Tuesday against Hanna, the hurler struck out seven in a complete-game ef-fort. And against San Benito on Thursday, she spun another gem.

In a five-inning game, De La Fuente yielded just two hits, struck out four and tossed the shutout.

With the solid performances, De La Fuente was named the Valley Morning Stars female Player of the Week.

“I’m very proud of myself to win this award and represent my team,” said De La Fuente. “We have all been working hard so it’s great to win and win for my team. Right now, I’m seeing the ball well and all my work is paying off.”

At the plate this week, De La Fuente went 2 for 5 with a home run and five runs scored.

“Kaitlynn pitched her heart out tonight, she has been doing some great things for us,” said South coach Elias Martinez after Thursday night’s win over San Benito. “Tonight, her defense stepped up and helped her, but I’m proud of her and what she is doing for us.”

KEVIN NARRO | Valley Morning Star

LYFORD — In their first meeting against a Class 3A opponent on Wednesday, Lyford was put to the test against San Diego.

On a day where runs came at a minimum, San Diego had the timely hitting and capitalized on Lyford’s miscues.

It took the Lady Vaqueros a few innings to solve Lyford hurler Jerrica Rojas – who struck out 11 batters in a complete-game effort – but in the end they did en route to a 5-3 victory.

With the game knotted at 1-1, San Diego’s Leandra Bazan led off the sixth with a single and later scored the go-ahead run on a Lorena Hinojosa RBI that put the Lady Vaqueros ahead 2-1.

In the seventh, the Lady Vaqueros added three more runs and held on for the win. The Lady Bulldogs will now prepare for their District 32-3A opener next Friday at Monte Alto with first pitch set for 4:30 p.m.

“Through the non-district portion of the season we wanted to play some tough teams,” said Lyford coach Joey Rios. “We played our first 3A team today and we played a tough San Diego team that is in the district right above us. Playing against them (San Diego) gives us a gage on where we are at.

“They’re a respectable team and play in a tough district. Today we did some good things on defense and in the circle, but we just struggled to hit the ball today.”

Along with the 11-strikeouts, Rojas, who is Lyford’s workhorse, kept the Lady Vaqueros at bay all afternoon. She struck out the side in the first two innings and didn’t surrender a run until the third.

“My arm feels a bit tingly, but I feel good; it was a long day,” Rojas said. “In the circle I felt I did well, but at the plate I didn’t execute as well as I wanted to. For being off a week, I felt good out there. Playing against San Diego is good for us; we want to play against tough teams so we can get ready for district and eventually get ready for the playoffs.”

In the first inning, Lyford struck first when Ayleen Castillo drove in Hannah Garza on an RBI single. After the RBI by Garza, San Diego pitcher Miranda Buentello wiggled out of a bases-loaded jam and held Lyford to just the one run.

Buentello went toe to toe with Rojas and cruised through the Lyford line up as the righty answered her counterpart with a complete game allowing three unearned runs.

Offensively, Lyford stranded 11 runners on base and put together six hits as a club. Despite the offensive being in a funk, Coach Rios re-mained optimistic about the team’s future.

“It’s been a journey for us; we’re a young team we that has a couple of seniors who are great leaders,” Rios said. “We saw some things that the kids can and can’t do, so we’re going to build on that going forward.

“The good thing it’s Spring Break and taking a step back from the game helps. We will have time to rest; we have played a lot of softball over the last few weeks. We can use this time to relax, get our feet back under us and get ready for district next week.”

KEVIN NARRO | Valley Morning Star

SAN BENITO — What happens when an irresistible force meets an immovable object? You get Harlingen South vs. San Benito.

Tonight’s District 32-6A softball clash features two of the Valley’s heavyweights and two of the top teams in the league. Both Harlingen South and San Benito enter tonight’s game with a 3-0 conference record and are in a three-way tie for first place with fellow power Weslaco High.

A loss tonight will not determine the outcome of the district race, but the winner will gain momentum heading into the midway point of the league season. The Lady Green Birds enter the friendly confines of San Benito and will lock horns at 6:30 tonight.

“It’s a big game, but in our district every game is a big game,” said Lady Hawks coach Elias Martinez. “We’re going to go out there and give it everything we’ve got because there are no gimmie games. We’re going to continue to fight like we have all season.”

Both offenses are on a roll through the first three league games. The Lady Hounds have outscored their opponents 46-5 while the Lady Hawks have outscored theirs 41-6. Senior Joanna Gonzalez has been one key factor to the Lady Hounds’ offense and has plenty of big-game experience.

South’s heavy hitters come from the top of the order with Kaitlynn De La Fuente, Krystal Gonzales and cleanup hitter Kytana Muniz, all of whom can provide power and produce runs. Meanwhile, leadoff hitter Natasha Canales provides the speed for the team.

“The thing I tell the younger girls is to have fun, that’s the main thing,” Gonzalez said. “Since it’s such a quick turnaround it’s important for us to stay on the same page and stay focused. There isn’t too much of a difference with us having just one day to prepare; we just need to be ready and stay prepared.”

Pitching has also played a strong role for both teams. De La Fuente has stymied opposing offenses in each of her starts. Her only blemish came against Brownsville Hanna on Tuesday.

The Lady Hounds, meanwhile, turn to either Sarah Garcia, who is a seasoned veteran, or the freshman arm of Megan Cavazos to take the circle today.

Like the Lady Hawks, San Benito has the fire power at the plate and on the field with veterans like AJ Jasso, Megan Ybarra and Deztiny Hernandez.

“We’re excited to be a part of a tough district,” Hernandez said. “As a senior we help show the younger girls what the tradition is and how we do things here in San Benito. It’s going to be fun and intense. We have prepared well and are ready for the challenge.”

First-year coach Denise Lira has the Lady Hounds prepared despite the short week and has the team clicking through the first few months of the season.

“The kids are prepared for tonight,” Lira said. “This wasn’t something that just came up, we already had all this planned, but the girls are ready to go and they knew what the schedule was going to be like, and have done a good job on taking it one day at a time.

“Our veterans have been calm all week because they know what to expect and we’re playing for outs and we will control the things we can control. Tonight is very important; a win will give us breathing room toward the end of the first round of district play, but again we try and stay in the same mindset and that’s to take it one day at a time.”